


an inanimate split

by avapacifica



Series: October Writing Challenge 2020 [7]
Category: Black Christmas (1974), The Boy (2016 Bell)
Genre: 4 Things, 4 times, 4+1 Things, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bonding, Caretaking, Dolls, Happy Ending, Inanimate Objects, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Tea, Tea Parties, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26889076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avapacifica/pseuds/avapacifica
Summary: 4 times billy gets angry at the doll and 1 time he takes care of it
Relationships: Billy Lenz/Brahms Heelshire
Series: October Writing Challenge 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948126
Kudos: 37





	an inanimate split

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7: Doll  
> why is the lenzshire community so small on ao3? idk, but I wanted to help fix it

**1**

It all starts in the parlor of the Heelshire mansion. Two porcelain teacups sit on a table, one empty, the other full. The guest is made of the same material, the host’s face alike. The doll copy of Brahms had accepted his invitation. However, Billy had not. 

It wasn’t a problem, Billy doesn’t like tea. He likes to make that known quite often. But when he walks by the room and sees Brahms sitting with a doll, he feels a twinge of jealousy. This is the first instance of it, but certainly not the last. 

The doll is dressed in his Sunday best, and Brahms is making conversation with him. That’s what really gets Billy, his boyfriend is having a serious discussion with an inanimate object. There isn’t even tea in it’s cup! Billy comes in, draping himself over Brahms’ back. He freezes in his speech, putting down his cup gently. 

“Mind if I join?” Billy whispers into his ear, biting his earlobe. Brahms bats him away.

“I asked if you had wanted to sit with me.” He says, wiggling out of his grip. “You said you didn’t want to. You can stay now if you’d like.” Brahms had left a chair out for a situation such as this. “But I will not accept this vulgarity right now, it’s not proper for tea time.” 

Shut down, Billy storms out.

**2**

One night, when Brahms is nowhere to be found, Billy has to travel to a room he has grown to not like. That being the doll’s, of course. He peers through the crack of the door, and is horrified to see Brahms tucking in his little self, giving it a kiss on the forehead.

Billy is fuming. He leans against the wall outside, waiting for Brahms to finish up. When he does so, and leaves the room, he’s careful with the door, as if a loud creak will wake it up.

“Why are you putting it to bed?” Billy asks, the bitterness leaving an obvious bite in his tone.

“Him.” Brahms corrects. Billy rolls his eyes. “Little Brahms needs someone to take care of him. Ever since Greta left he’s been very lonely, I want to cheer him up.”

Well what about Billy? Maybe he’s been feeling left out lately. Maybe he wants to be tucked in. Maybe he wants to have a kiss on his forehead while he snuggles into the sheets and drifts off into the abyss. Of course he can’t say any of that though, that would make him vulnerable. He doesn’t bring it up.

**3**

Billy had brought television into the Heelshire household. Brahms had been hesitant at first, thinking it was too loud and flashy for his liking. Billy had brought him around, albeit with stuffy British TV, but he convinced him nonetheless. He’s quite proud of talking his boyfriend into that. 

Sometimes they’ll cuddle and watch Downton Abbey. Billy will make fun of their accents the entire time and Brahms will have the subtitles on, dividing his time to the dialogue inside and out of the screen.

On Billy’s own time though, he enjoys cartoons. Loud cartoons. Sometimes he’ll just watch a channel with static, it’s enough stimulation for him. It isn’t a problem most of the time, Brahms will just retreat into the walls to relax. Billy has a tendency to be headache inducing, it’s not a bad idea to take a break every once in a while. 

Today however, Brahms’ head is pounding. It followed a particularly noisy story Billy had told about his trip to the grocer that day. Little Brahms had been in the room with him, and shared the headache that bigger Brahms was now dealing with. He emerges, and asks Billy politely if he wouldn’t mind turning it down, as his friend was only a few rooms over.

“How could he possibly have a headache Brahms?” Billy exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. “He’s a doll! Why can’t he just go in your room with you.” That’s not allowed, Brahms wishes he would understand. “Fuck it, fine.” Billy turns down the adult swim content, being sure to make a big deal about it. He crosses his arms, and makes a face at Brahms as he leaves. 

**4**

When the Heelshire mansion had burned down all those years ago, it had cost a small fortune to rebuild. Thus, the heating around the house was disproportionate. Many rooms were drafty, and could get downright freezing. On days like those, Billy and Brahms liked to cuddle.

That’s how it was looking today, and yet when Billy had set up the entire sofa for the two of them, Brahms came in with that  _ thing _ in his arms. He sat down on the couch, taking a carefully placed blanket off the back of it and wrapping it around his little friend. He pats the seat next to him, and that’s it. Billy’s had enough.

“Does that stupid fucking doll have to be involved in everything we do?!” Brahms sighs, placing the smaller version of himself next to him. He knew this was coming. 

“He’s been having a hard time adjusting to all the changes as of late. Up until a year or two ago, I had my parts of the house, and he had his. He was my personality outside of the walls, and he had to endure everything that should’ve been happening to me, good and bad. He is me Billy, and shame on you for picking and choosing what bits of me to love.

_ Well shit, now he fucking feels bad. _

Brahms returns to the walls, alone. The three of them feel absolutely sick.

**+1**

It gets to be late, far too late for the doll to still be up. Brahms still hasn’t come out of the walls, so Billy decides to take things into his own hands. He picks the doll up from his place on the couch, and he notices how heavy he is. He feels so real, and holds much more weight than he had realized.

He brings him to his room, laying him down in his bed. Billy changes him into his pajamas to the best of his ability. He’s only seen Brahms do it a time or two before, and he wasn’t really paying attention, so he hopes he doesn't messed it up too bad. 

Little Brahms goes under the covers, and Billy goes to pick out a book. It’s not to read exactly, Billy doesn’t know how. He knows every book on the shelves that have pictures though. He chooses one, flipping through it with vivid descriptions of every image. He wants to be responsible, and so he doesn’t finish the book, stopping before twenty minutes has gone by.

Last but not least, he leaves a goodnight kiss on the doll’s forehead.

Brahms watches on from the walls. He hadn’t seen everything, especially because of his limited vision. But what he had made his heart melt. It wasn’t his intention to abandon his younger self to force Billy to be his caretaker, yet maybe that was the push he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed! kudos and comments are always appreciated, they make my day!


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